Messi And Ronaldo Duel To Be World’s Best Again

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world’s best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday (August 17) for The Best FIFA Men’s Player.

The pair, who have dominated the global award in its varied forms for a decade, will be favourites to collect yet another accolade amid the 24-strong list of the world’s best.

Ronaldo enjoyed another remarkable season in which he inspired Real Madrid to a La Liga/Champions League double while Messi topped him in the Spanish goalscoring charts for Barcelona while going past a career landmark of 500 goals for the club.

Carli Lloyd, the U.S. World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion, was the inaugural winner and again makes the list of 10 in contention to be “Best FIFA” woman player.

Zinedine Zidane, who guided Real Madrid’s landmark season, with seven of their players in the men’s shortlist, is recognised in his nomination as best men’s coach.

The awards are a revival of the old FIFA World Player of the Year, which had been combined with France Football magazine’s Ballon d’Or for six years before the collaboration ended last year. Ronaldo won the inaugural “best” trophy.

They are voted for by national coaches and captains, selected media and fans, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on October 23.

The shortlists:

The best men’s player: Pierre Aubameyang (Gabon, Borussia Dortmund), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy, AC Milan), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Daniel Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Manchester United), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Harry Kane (England, Tottenham Hotspur), N’Golo Kante (France, Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica, Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Paris St Germain), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Alexis Sanchez (Chile, Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona), Arturo Vidal (Chile, Bayern Munich)